It is known to manufacture frozen dough or batter based products such as brownies, cakes, flan, quiche, muffins, sweet rolls, pastries, cobblers, or the like and then freeze and bulk pack the products for shipping to a bakery, restaurant, or convenience store. The product is typically unpacked and each unit of product is individually placed on a baking pan with a suitable pan liner. Next, the product is placed in a retarder or is floor thawed. The product may also be proofed prior to baking. After baking, the product is allowed to cool and then it may be iced or topped with sugar. Finally, the product is removed from the pan and placed into packaging for display and sale to the customer.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,986,432 assigned to Novacart S.P.A. of Italy discloses a baking tray comprising a support element 2 made of a laminar paper material having a plurality of holes 3 for receiving a plurality of pleated paper cups 4. The support element includes perforations 5 for separating individual cups or groups of cups. The pleated paper cups may be attached to the support element by gluing the top rim of the cup to the support element or by folding top rim of the cup such that it catches the support element. The disclosed baking tray is helpful to some extent, but it is not suitable for pre-filling with dough or batter by an automated filler and conveying into stacked arrangement in a shipping container because the paper cups and support element are not strong enough to withstand a high speed line and spiral freezer according to current practice. Another drawback is that the end product after backing is not adapted to be readily covered as a unit portion for display and sale to a customer.
What is needed is improved packaging and methodology that further reduces the labor required by the bakery, restaurant, or store.